Never Too Late
by ronlover93
Summary: A simple piece of 21st century romance between Hitsugaya Toushiro and Momo Hinamori. A tale revealing the truest form of love, friendship and betrayal. Can you handle a heartbreak?
1. Chapter 1

In the modern days of the 21st century, starting from the pollution, global-warming, fatal diseases, politics, rush-hours, financial issues, terrorism, natural disasters, cities with cars and buses roaming by faster than you saying 'TAXI!', robberies and tragic accidents to advancing technologies, private schools, zebra-crossings and all the little problematic things. You would find yourselves in a situation that in the tough world out there, there is barely space for you to slip a tiny fantasy of true love in the above mentioned signatures of the flow. Let alone time for you to actually _have _the fantasy.

People with MBAs and even PhD could barely escape the fate of being jobless and sometimes even homeless. Even when they have used up all their savings in all their bank accounts for their monthly education fee, all that's left in the end for them is a piece of paper with a photo-stated signature from some minister, that probably didn't even look twice while signing a copy for the education institution. Sometimes when you think about it, you just couldn't help but say, 'Da-_mn_, that is ridiculous...'

Even the oh-so-famous, Xyn Hitsugaya: lady CEO of the glamorous modeling agency, _BliNk_, said 'Hello!' to bankruptcy when her handsome husband, Kenshin Hitsugaya died of a plane crash on his way to Milan for a fashion show. He was a designer known for his spiral and curvy designs but even the ones like them couldn't escape what fate had in store for them. _And _the best part of it, is that she still have a son, who was barely five, to raise. Her child, after the incident, became mature despite of his unreasonably short appearance and the heritage of white natural-spike hair from his father. He became a poker-face with no emotions but a deceiving empty smile plastered onto his face every second.

Her childhood sweetheart from Taiwan moved to Japan with his daughter to take care of her and her son. Xyn Hitsugaya paid off her debts and was removed of her bankrupt statues after a long suffering of six years. She successfully became a senior fashion editor at _Celeb FoCus_, an internationally known magazine when she went back to her own country: Taiwan, along with her son.

After regaining her financial statues, she started planning to revive her career that has been long neglected. Back in Taiwan, she remarried with her sweetheart, Yang, a son of the richest family in Taiwan, and was provided a better life after her precious son turned twelve. He became colder than ever and behind that gorgeous smile of his, lies unrevealed pain and a scar that could never be healed. To make things worst, when he knows that his mother is remarrying a man that she'd loved even before his respectful father, he didn't even make a simple attempt to smile anymore. For some time after their marriage, he had a slight hatred towards Yang, his stepfather. But that all changed when he witnessed his mother's happiness throughout the whole relationship. The time when he first heard the familiar yet so long abandoned laughter of his mother that he loved so dearly, the slight hatred was quickly replaced with appreciation and acceptance.

After a year, Xyn has successfully revived her agency, _BliNk_, in Taiwan with the help of her newly wedded husband and everything went back to exactly how it was suppose to be before her husband's untimely death. But Xyn died tragically 6 months later of blood cancer. She left every single cent of her hard-earn money and every piece of property under name to her son, including _BliNk_, of course. Her son's life was once again turned completely upside-down. He lost faith in the people around him just like the time when his beloved father died a tragic death seven years ago just half-an-hour before his birthday. After the long years, he had finally started recovering from this family tragedy and this happens. He continued staying with Yang but kept his surname eventhough his mother changed it again after she remarried.

Honestly speaking, Yang had treated him like his very own son even after his mother died. He continued supplying him with daily needs and education, but most important, a shelter. A home that he can come back to everyday after the long hard day out in the crude world. Besides a few short answer to Yang's common questions, he rarely talked to anyone except for his older stepsister since six. Yang had already divorced a year before he and his mother met each other again. His eighteen-year-old happy-go-lucky daughter, happily accepted him and his mother into their family when she heard their parents, who was suppose to be just friends, were marrying each other after returning to Taiwan. He doesn't know what it is, but he and his stepsister was unreasonably close together.

Her name was Yang Zhi Jing. _Jing _in Mandarin dialect means quiet, silence. She was tall and very beautiful. With elegant postures and a forgive-and-forget attitude, he grew closer and closer to her and became a very protective and loving brother to her. Under his coldness and poker-face, he was sometimes very annoyed by her silly ideas and fantasy, not to mention her sudden mood swings that happen so often in a few minutes. But he always listened and accepted her advices. He have to admit that he's very helpless around her because he was completely under Jing's lead and wouldn't, or so to say, couldn't help himself but to follow her instructions that sometimes make no sense at all. Which was quite often actually.

She always have her way of softening his harden expression and making him laugh and even go by with her silly and naughty plots of making fun of other people. Which always ended up in a situation where he finds himself going to apologize to the person in question on her behalf. But without her knowing, of course. Well, at least in front of her he didn't have to give out cold and unfriendly vibes, didn't have to carry pretense as a burden on his back like he had to in front of other people. He can just be...him. The simple-minded, twelve-and-a-half year old him. He could let down his guards. He can walk out of the tall and strong barrier he built around himself and present the truest of himself to her.

His world has already started crumbling down around him by the time he was transfered to study in a famous local school that was teaching the things that he had already been taught in Japan, which was also the school that Jing had studied before she moved onto xxx University of fashion designs. Despite his mother's financial difficulties, he studied hard and was given the title of 'Heaven's Gift' when he participate in an international math competition for his country and won the first degree honor, earning his a full scholarship to the school for geniuses in Tokyo.

He hated his birthdays but had also allowed Jing to quietly celebrate it with him every year in his spacious room. Deep in his heart, he appreciate these people around him, which had extended a helping hand towards him while he was in difficulties. When he had no family whatsoever. When he was left lost in his own world with nothing more than sadness, pain and wounds that had grown deeper over his mother's death. They gave him a meaning in life. He never complaint about his lost and quietly bare the darkness that had totally engulfed him whole since the age of five. But sometimes when he looked at his past, he just couldn't help himself of experiencing the heartbreak he had endured so many years ago, all over again.

But that's how it is. That's what's so commonly referred to as: _reality_.


	2. Chapter 2

**(All conversations in this chapter is in Japanese.) A/N **Some very important details made in the first chapter. Please read again. You can skip the crap in front. Read the paragraph and after, that Xyn was announced bankrupt.

A feminine hand reached from beside and took the 4R photo-frame on the night-stand in the almost empty room. Her face and body was just like one of those Barbies up on the shelves, in boxes, opposing her bed. Laying on the soft comforter, with her silky black hair fanned out on the pillow, she looked at the picture she had in her hand. She gently caressed his face through the transparent glass.

The picture is a side-profile of a boy, from head to shoulder, his face shoot, close-up. His masculine features were captured very sharply, the bridge of his nose, the arc of his chin and low cheekbone, his half-closed eyelids, the lines of his frowning eyebrow, the clear dark olive green shade of his eyes and every spike handsomely captured, pointy and sharp, were very well taken. His fringe spread over at the left side of his face, constantly covering his left eye. Judging from the angle of the figure in the photo, this picture was stealthily taken from a hidden distance, not that far away. She slowly place it carefully inside the box, next to her bed where she kept all the pictures she taken of him secretly through the window. These are her treasures that she would protect with her life. She going to bring them together over to Taiwan.

She took it years ago, when she was eleven, without him knowing, before he migrated to Taiwan two weeks after. It was almost as if he could hear the click of the camera, he turned his head around and glanced sideways, at her direction. That was how she caught his side-profile in her film. His family was her neighbor, both their bedroom windows at the side of the house, facing each other. They don't even know each other, and yet she was just so attracted to him, looking through her window to his. Even when the curtain are closed. Even when it was in the middle of the night and it was dark in there. Even when he was not there in his room. The first time they made eye contact was the time when she moved in and the movers were at her house, shifting furnitures and boxes, one after another, into the house. She was happily walking up the stairs towards the door, she turned her head, smiling, and met his eyes. He was frowning and she looked away, her heart beating against her rib cage as hard and fast as a hammer hitting a nail. She started blushing. _What is this feeling? Stop it..._

She gasped for air, her trachea tightening in her throat, chocking her. She instinctively reached for the 'Breather' which she always kept in her pocket, and placed it at the opening of her mouth, After two pushes of the gaseous medication and long inhalations, she recovered her calm. 'Are you okay, Dolly?' her mother asked, softly patting her back beside her. When she nodded slowly, her mother carried on with whatever she was doing and left her standing there to catch her breath. She was panting as if she just finished a 800 m marathon. Yea, that's right...she has asthma. It was born with her. As a baby, she almost died of suffocation as she was born just two months before they were expecting her to be. But this is ridiculous. It rarely happen as she is very careful with herself.

Having an asthmatic attack just because of an eye contact with this boy whom she doesn't even know of is just pathetic. It's not like she hadn't made eye contact with any other boys in her school before and she never get an attack just looking at them for a few seconds. So why is this happening? Father promised that once they move to they're new house, far away from their previous one, she may not get asthma attack that often for a while. But then, this very first time she's been into this new environment, she got an attack in just like eight minutes. When she looked back up slowly at where he was just standing a minute ago, but he had already went into his house with the tall girl that was walking behind him. Maybe it was his sister.

'What are you staring at, Dolly? Something wrong? Do you have you Breather with you?' her father stroked her head softly and she looked up at him. 'It's nothing...' she replied with a smile. 'Well, good. Let's go inside and Dolly can choose a room for herself, okay?' her father's smile reached his eyes and it is the smile that she liked to see the most. It always cheered her up just by looking at it. 'Okay!'

Her father held her small hand in his and caressed the back of her palm with his thumb gently. She turned around for one last look at where she saw him standing right in front of his door. Then she was lead inside the house and up the stairs to the second landing. Her new home is spacious, larger and far more brighter than the last.

'Here, Dolly. You can choose either this, that and the room down the hallway over there. Take a look and tell Pa which one you like best, okay?' he said softly while patting her back softly.

'But which one does Pa like?' she asked in a cute and childish voice.

'Oh, but the room is not for Pa...this is for Doll to decide for herself, okay?' he said and then left, disappearing out of sight, down the stairs. After watching her father leave, she started exploring the first room.

It was quite shady, walls painted sky-blue and it was quite spacious too. But the window is very tiny which means that she won't be able to look outside and the sunlight won't be able to come in. Uh-uh. Not this one. Dolly no likey. To the next. This room was not that bad. The windows are large and it's bright in here. But there's not really much space for her to put her books and Barbie collections. Uh-uh. Not this one either. There's no place to put Chelsea and the others. Which leaves only the last one. She pushed open the door and the sunlight immediately streamed out of the room through the door. It is spacious and it had everything she wanted. The sunlight, windows, space and an attached bathroom. Plus, Pa and Mama's room is just at the opposite. It was perfect. But then someone at the window at the house on the other-side attracted her full attention. She walked up the four, carpeted, small steps and towards the windows, which was aligned in a semicircle surrounding the king-sized bed without it's bedsheets. Like a round stage, a little higher than the floor, right in front of the door. Even the bed is of the shape of a circle. The floor on the higher landing is carpeted maroon. The walls were all painted in a soft shade of olive green, just like the colors of his irises.

He was there, sitting on the floor in a corner surrounded by shelves of books, leaning against the wall that was painted clean shade of yellow-green matching his simple bedsheets, facing her windows. He was concentrating so hard at the book, he didn't notice her staring. He was wearing a simple black T-shirt and a white pants. He looked handsome and mature but very cold, empty and preserved. She'd decided. This is the room she wanted. 'Pa! Papa! Papa! Dolly found her room!' she yelled at the top of her lungs and her father came rushing in quickly.

Oh, she remembered it all to well as if it was just a minute ago when she first met him. She was only seven then. She assumed that he was, too, at that time. But strange enough, his hair was white. Every single strand of it. She always wondered whether he bleached it or not but she never had a chance to ask. He stayed at his room and kept to himself most of the time. He wasn't in the same school as hers, he was at the school for genius, which she worked very hard to get into, but he left the year she got accepted. She still remembered how upset she was, locking herself in her own room and rarely came out, for weeks. He seemed to have known her feelings long time ago. She even noticed that he didn't let down the curtains even when there were many times that he caught her staring at him through her own window. He just seemed to ignore it. That day, she sat in her room, looking at him packing his stuff, wondering where he was going. She heard her mother talking about their neighbor migrating, while coming down for breakfast after watching him leave his room.

She ran out of the house, grabbing the camera as she did, and went after him, inhaling from the Breather while running. She could have died. After taking the picture while he was there. across the busy street. By the time she caught up with him, he was already gone. People passed her from different directions. She suddenly started choking, as a man smoking cigarette walked passed her. She reached for the Breather but was too weak to even press the bottle down to release the gas. But when she almost fainted, someone caught her from behind.

'Are you feeling alright?' a deep voice said from behind her. He took the Breather from her hand and pressed the little bottle from the top into her mouth from around her neck, as he was supporting her from behind. She inhaled slowly. After she caught her breath, he carried her on his back and started heading home. So he did notice her afterall. But how could he not when everytime he glanced out of his window, she would be there at her own window, sitting at the front of her bed, head supported by her two palms, staring at him? Well, her attention was kind of hard to ignore, but he never spoken to her since the first day she moved into the house next to his. The main reason that he avoided her was because his heart would beat like mad and he would lose control of himself everytime he's around this little girl. He damn sure didn't like that feeling of losing his heart.

He slowly let her down at the front of her gate, where her father came rushing to her side, thanking him all the time. He always envied her for having such a loving and caring father. Her breathing was a little faster than normal but, otherwise, she was fine. He turned to walk away but he was held back by his elbow.

'Wait!...my name is H-Hinamori Momo. P-please...tell me y-yours...please...' she pleaded pitifully. When he didn't answer, she slowly let go of his elbow and her hand slidded to her side. Her beautiful eyes shone with tears and sadness. Her warmth still remain at his back and his elbow that she had just let go of. His frown that he plastered on his face, eased for the very first time in so many years. He felt more relaxed, suddenly feeling the tiredness of frowning all the time, even in his sleep, for so long. He need his bed. Now. Before the tiredness drowned his whole body. He turned and slowly took a step towards the gates of his house.

'Hitsugaya Toushiro.'


	3. Chapter 3

Today was his first day of school in the secondary school that he was transfered to at his second-year and he was the only one to have scored full marks in the entrance exam. The school he was excepted into with flying colors was in the list of Top 20 Best Schools of the World. He was everywhere on local news and was known throughout the country from toddlers to the elderly of Taiwan. Heads turn everywhere he went, whispers found their way to his ears every now and then and stares so heavy that it could almost put holes through him.

The residence of Taiwan was almost desperate to see this 'Heaven's Gift' that came from Japan, this genius boy that their country gained as their very own: Hitsugaya Toushiro.

A black shiny Mercedes drove up the driveway of the high school this genius boy was attending, turning heads from every direction. It stopped right in front of the school's gate where cars are non-accessible with it's passenger seat's door facing the shiny gates of the school. The driver who's wearing a set of neat and clean suit came rushing towards the door aligned with his, where his young boss sat, opened the door and stepping behind it to allow whoever that's inside to step out of the car. Students gather round expectantly, leaning forward to see who was this mysterious person of high important that was obviously some rich dude.

Out came a leg, wearing a black and white limited-edition of Pumas that was classy and shoe-laced very lazily, but still it looked very well taken care of. After gaining balance on the extended leg, the master of it came stepping with an elegant air enveloping him and the driver's bow deepen. It was instantly known that he was a teenage that was well taken care of since birth. He had a handsome but emotionless face, with a pair of dark olive green irises, that had already caused commotion amongst the girls in the growing crowd around him.

He was of a height of approximately 178 cm as he had miraculously grown out of all his clothes plus shoes over the years and was dressed ruggedly of his uniform that hugged his close-to-perfect curves perfectly and a black thin tie hanging loosely around his neck leaving the first collar button open, looking mature despite the ruggedness of his apparel. The only thing that attracted more attention that he already had was his spiked hair. It was snowy white in color and he had a fringe that was just the right length streaming down the left side of his face slightly covering his left eye, giving people a very mysterious impression. A sudden breeze rushed through the air messing up his hair and when it slowly swayed to the breeze smoothly, it was proven that his hair was naturally spiky and did not require the role of hairspray whatsoever. He reached up and flipped his fringe back into place so naturally that it had sent girls drooling. He was certainly used to the attention that he attracted and still attracting because none of the burning stares has given him a slight change to his expression. But there was a very familiar sensation this time, as if his being watched over, every word and every move.

'Good morning, young master.' his identity was leaked at once after the formal addressal and he instantly became Prince Charming of most of the girls in the crowd and an individual of admire for some of the guys, too. 'Morning.' the driver was used to his cold greeting as he had served him for nearly two years now. He took his bag out of the car seat placed the slight of his Nike onto his broad shoulder in the smartest way possible. After a short look around his surrounding, suspiciously, he went slowly over towards the passenger door on the other side of the car, which was facing the gates. Clearly, someone of higher importance awaits there. A roam of excitement spread through the large crowd. The driver, after closing the door behind Toushiro has rushed over to the side of his boss immediately after he started towards where his other boss sat. The same thought appeared at the same time in every girl's thinking box: it would be worth killing for to be the one that's in the car that he would be opening the door to, whoever it was.

He handsomely opened the door with a flip of his hand and the driver that was close behind him bowed a low bow. Hitsugaya Toushiro extended a hand and it was immediately grasped by a female's smooth and tender hand. Out came a lady of a hundred and sixty-six cm of height, not overdressed, but nevertheless beautifully in her simple apparel. Her hair was tied to the side of her head as a long, black and curly ponytail to the length of her waist with a slight highlight of violet. She wore a black Fred Segal turtleneck and a three-quarter length Earl Jeans plus a oliver green woolen scarf from Zara with knee-length brown high-heeled Manolo Blahniks boots.

'Good morning, Ms. Yang.' she then smiled immediately at the middle-aged driver looking pass the gorgeous Hitsugaya Toushiro, as if such a handsome creature hold no lures to her, and said, 'Good morning, Uncle Wong. But didn't you already bide us a very good morning when we were back at the house? It's okay, I'll be in shortly, you can be excused. Please come back after half-an-hour.' she said good-naturedly and flashed a brighter smile as the driver retreated into the car after a nod. She eyed him carefully and once she saw the door closed behind her driver, she immediately loosen up and gripped the handle of her oversized maroon-knitted woolen Versace. The black Mercedes had already disappear from view.

'Well, as I have said, I am most certainly not interested...' she slipped her arm through the arc of his arm. With her free hand, she pushed up her pair of Dior with a light shade of brown, growing lighter down her eyes, up her hair and it stayed at the top of her head at the best angle possible. They walked slowly through the gates with childishness that looked just as suitable for her beautifully, well-shaped face, replacing her seriousness, but she still looked extremely pretty nonetheless. They were obviously resuming the conversation that they had had earlier on in the car.

'Oh,' he replied coldly with a slight sense of tease couldn't possibly have been detected if you hadn't listen at a close 5 cm radius. 'Really...but then why did you come? I'm not really a kid anymore...'

'You still are to me...' she laughed silently. 'Shiro, you don't expect me to let you attend such an important occasion all on your own did you?' he looked annoyed by the mention of his nickname but didn't say anything. His face was still as cold as before. People from behind them where talking loudly and some were gasping with admiration. But the couple before them did not seem to be the slightest disturbed. It had always happened to them whenever he was force to accompany Jing everytime she went shopping. He really didn't understand why girls need to have the newest Gucci coat, the latest season Jimmy Choos or the need of having every single one of Louis Vuitton handbags. Eventhough his parents were very much a legend in the world of fashion, he still didn't by the idea of having a wardrobe as huge as Taiwan itself.

'Whatever...' he said and looked away.

'Oh, I almost forgot to tell you...someone moved into the bungalow behind us. It was beautifully renovated. Just thought you should know, in case you go fruit-plucking next door again...' he always liked to eat pears and there was a pear tree next door. Whenever he felt like it, he would climb over the fence and up the tree to pluck some pears to eat as a snack, as the weather there is always above 30℃. His favorite past-time is sitting on the one of the branches on the tree and read a book while eating a pear. Looks like he'd need to pick up another _legal _past-time. He trespassing everytime he went over for some R & R time. Well, not really, honestly, because the owner of that property had never lived in that house for as long as Jing was born. The Yang mansion is a pass-down family property.

They soon arrived at the registration hall, with people around them explaining to those of their friends who weren't there to witness their grand entrance. He registered at the counter and got the leaflets of the map of the school, and the information leaflet informing him of his timetables and his student ID. He stuffed those into his bag and then stood next to his sister which was in a distance not that far away, taking in everything around her quickly.

'You've got everything with you, right? Your stationaries, notebooks, hand-phones, your jumper and all?' and when he nodded, 'Good.' she flashed a satisfied smile and started buttoning his collar and adjusting his tie. He silently allowed her to plant a peck on his cheek as she always did as a show of support or just merely a habit she got herself into. 'Well, I'll get going now...take care of yourself. Uncle Wong will be here for you after school...oh, and don't forget, we're suppose to be having lunch with Papa after your fist day of school...well, it would all be taken care of, Uncle Wong would bring you there'

'Hey, I'm 15 already...not a three-year-old anymore...now get going...he must be waiting for you already...' "he" referring to their driver. Toushiro usually didn't have to mention who was the person in question because Jing could understand perfectly well as of who he is referring to. Those around him long enough didn't need to ask anymore. They knew his temper all too well to have him annoyed at themselves. Everyone in the Yang mansion knew that the only one that could afford to get him irritated and he would not even make a sound of it, is their lady in the house: Jing.

'Okay, now behave, Shiro...' she said like any other mothers would on their child's first day of school and reached up to pat the side of his face softly. Except that she was his sister. Jing reached up for her shades and pulled them down from where it rested on her top of her hair and placed at the bridge of her nose, covering her eyes. Then she disappeared into the crowd and was gone. He sighed. _Finally...ah, well...better get going..._he thought and moved through the dense crowd towards the hall where the welcoming ceremony was just about to start. But then, he actually enjoyed this kind of treatment from his stepsister that he was very fond of, it's only that he hasn't show it because he really didn't need to. She already knew.


	4. Chapter 4

The welcoming ceremony was just as boring as last year, as a matter of fact, because he just have to admit that sitting in this hall with hundreds of other students and listening to some old guy on the small stage, whom he could barely see or hear was not something that he would consider interesting. Let alone exciting. It wasn't even close. Especially with this fat, ugly...he could not find the word to express his views as of what she is, sitting beside him, in advantage of her size, purposely accidentally squish her arm towards his shoulders, drooling on the sleeve of his uniform. All through assembly, he joked and laughed silently with his _nakama_, Sōsuke Aizen. They were best friends since they were toddlers and his sister has a huge crush on Aizen that everyone knew except for the guy himself.

Later on, after another long speech from the vice-principal, a very young lady, who was beautiful but very geek-looking with her flimsy wired-glasses, long-sleeves and ankle-length skirt, he just couldn't help himself but wonder why he had chosen this pathetic place of all the school that he could be accept into a year ago. He can't even figure out how she could survive in her long stuff, especially when it's so hot outside. The only reason he was here is because he heard that the girls in this school are flirtatious, rich bitches and, most of all, sexy. Well, that kind of reminded him that he chose this school because it was the most open-minded high school you could find in the history of Taiwan. He's done his research pretty throughly.

First, about the uniforms. Well, obviously the girls' ones. He is most certainly not gay. He knew how it looked like not because he saw girls in them this morning when he arrived at the school. He had a sister who already bought them for her first year in this school. But then, it's not that, too. It was actually because he designed the uniforms and all attires for every event of their school. Okay, now on with the good stuff. Their formal attire are a fitted white blouse, a thin black tie, an olive green sweatshirt and a khaki above-knee-length folded skirt with three buttons aligned at the left side of it. As for footwear, they have a choice, only of black or white or both and heeled or not. But no strappy sandals whatsoever. That's all. No rules on the hair. Which was the best part as most of them preferred their hair let down. Then, on with the sports attire: any colored blouse but a standardized pair of black tight-shorts covering only a quarter of their thigh and a black or white pair of running shoes. This school was perfect in every sense but their ceremonies.

Moving on, there are a total of five categories, divided to 23 subjects, which is have three levels: basics, intermediate and advanced(apply to all 23 subjects), for you to choose from and their minimum is of ten subjects. But, you'd be required to score distinction in all ten subjects or you'd have to take twelve. He went with ten: advanced english, additional mathematics, calculus, algebra, trigonometry, practical biology, advanced physics, advanced chemistry, advanced geography and world history. He is a great student. And because of that, he didn't really liked it very much when his brother told him that someone's broken his record in the entrance exam of four points from full marks after the results was announced through the eight o'clock news, he was furious.

The Shiba Clan have long resided in Taiwan since their great-grandfather's generation. Eventhough he had no idea why they are not residing in their own country. It had something to do with Kuchiki Clan who claim their place in Japan as the most powerful clan in the whole history of gangsterism in Japan after their clan fleet for Taiwan. He wasn't really interested in what had happened then. And he guessed the reason was that...he wasn't even born. Well, he'll leave that to his brother, who was born four years after he was, to deal with the revenge thingie because Ganju was more to the kind that cared about the family history and hold on the the clan traditions in every occasion. The whole clan was even prouder of his brother than they were pleased with him. The clan saw him as someone not fit to be their clan's heir because all he does is flirt with girls in pubs and bars that he got into illegally, with his identity.

Eventhough he's very good in his studies but Ganju was just as brilliant as he was, eventhough Ganju may not look every bit as attractive as he is, in the appearence department. The only thing he cared about, since he could think for himself, was his appearence and what he wears. He spent more time doing facials than helping out in their company issues. He was a little arrogant and proud but, otherwise, was very nice to all the people around at all times. But things could go badly wrong when he's temper rose and took control over him which was a very rare but the most unforgettable occurrence. He could be very serious in what he set his mind to doing. But it was mostly to get hooked up with the new girl in town or something. Rarely something of importance. Recently, his been on the hunt for a date to bring to the welcoming ball which was soon to take place about two months later in March, right after their first exam of the semester. The most important event of the year besides the End-Of-Term Ball, which will take place right after their finals. The most important to _him_, at least. The events that he actually _takes_ part in.

Other than the classes, he attend a lot of co-curicculum activities, too, such as: basketball, fencing, break-dance, basketball, president of the designers club, piano, art, hockey and more basketball. Oh, and he's part of the poetry club, too. Which explains where he got all the different lines to get the girls. _Argh...finally she's finished. Now to the classes._ It was an unwritten rule that no one moves before he stands. No exceptions. Not even the principals. Let alone the teachers.

* * *

Just as Hitsugaya Toushiro was about to stand up after it was announced that they are dismissed, a hand from beside him pulled him down to his chair again. 'Wait!' a soft sound whispered in a foreign language which he knew all too well. He turned around immediately and observed the girl sitting beside him. She suddenly covered her mouth with her free hand. Then, she smiled. 'Sorry...it was just an instinct. It happens to me all the time.' she said so quickly and so softly that he couldn't catch her words.

'Sorry?' he answered with the language that he had abandoned after he migrated from Japan. He didn't even remember how long ago it had been since he last heard someone speaking it. His mother always preferred to speak in Mandarin, even with his father. He doubted that she would even remember how to speak that language if she was still alive now.

'You know Japanese too?' Inoue answered with her mother tongue without waiting for the obvious answer, 'Oh, but that's great!' and she laughed loudly. The people around them had already took their leave a few moments ago. She stood up and tucked at his hand which, when he'd come to think of it, she didn't let go of. He rose to his feet and she held his wrist, pulling him along behind her towards the exit of the hall. 'It's been long time since I met someone whom I could speak to in my mother tongue.' she continued the conversation in Japanese. 'I was so afraid that I would, one day, forget how to speak Japanese.'

He didn't know why he's not resisting her touch, which he didn't really want to admit, hasn't felt bad at all. Besides his mother's, stepsister's, and _her_touch that he had experienced a few weeks before he left Taiwan, he didn't like it when the others touch him. Because to him, their touches are cold and empty. He guessed that he was just happy to find someone here in Taiwan that spoke his language. His pronunciation had slightly differ from the original due to the lack of practice. But he could still manage, nonetheless, and could actually understand what she's saying because she's saying it so fast. He shoved his free hand into his pocket coolly. There's the familiar burning stare from behind him again, like there had been all through the ceremony just now. At the very second he turned around, he saw her. He looked around again, but there was no sight of the familiar face eventhough the uncomfortable feeling was locked onto him. _I thought I saw...no, it couldn't be. How could she be here? There's no way...why would she be here anyways? It must be just my imagination. It _has_to be..._

He looked around to see if he could see her here. He didn't expect much. The feeling arouse a sense of guilt in him and he slipped his hand out of her grip. There a moment of awkward silence between them. They continued walking without a word.

Inoue suddenly stopped as if she'd just remember something, which startled him a little. 'Oh,' she said looking at him, his eyebrow raised. 'Sorry. I'm Inoue Orihime. What about you?'_ the people walking pass them all seem to know this Hime girl...they're all maneuver pass the huge pillars aligning the corridors, saying hi in their sub-conciousness as if it was something they did and are still doing everyday..._he was momentarily distracted from the hesitation in his head.

Inoue started to wave her free hand in front of him when he didn't answer for a while. 'Oh, sorry...' he apologized. 'Hitsugaya Toushiro.'

'Well, Hitsugaya-kun...ah, you don't mind me calling you that do you? Nice to meet you...are you new here?' she asked, still smiling. It's been a long time since someone addressed him with '-kun'. He liked it.

'Yes...I'm a transfer student...' he said in a flat tone. He was not someone that really cared about how other people looked like, but his first impression of her is that she was beautiful. Very beautiful.

'Oh! So _you're_the so-called 'Genius Boy' that came from Japan...I should have known. What's your first period?'

He took out the file and turned to the timetable piece of paper. 'Couture Graphics with...Ms. Cassandra...'

'Oh, but that's mine's the same, too!' she exclaimed. 'Common' let's go...we're gonna be late if we don't hurry...' and surprisingly, she held onto his pinky-finger and they, together, ran through the corridors and up the stairs.

_She's interesting. This Inoue girl...very much alike with Jing. Reckless, cheery and friendly. _This was his thought before they took a turn at the end of the corridor and he almost bumped into her when she suddenly stepped on the brakes, hard, in front of one of the doors.


	5. Chapter 5

'Morning, everyone!' she greeted the class in Mandarin. The warning bell rang just as they stepped into the classroom that was full of noise compared to the others down the corridor.

'Morning, Hime!' they all chorused while she made her way to the back of the class. Hitsugaya followed her with his other hand in his pocket. She seem to have forgotten that they were still holding hands. It attracted the class's attention. There were only two empty seats at the back row. Judging on the vacancy, he guessed that it was were she always sat since of all the places, the two desks on the back of the class, with the field two levels below, was empty.

Inoue pulled out the chair of the outer desk and placed her bag beside the table. 'You can sit here since there's no other empty desks...' she said happily. When he didn't move but stared at her hand that was holding on to his, she released him at once. 'Sorry...erm, I kind of forgotten about that...' and then she sat down, blushing slightly. Japanese had officially became the language they used to communicate in as of this instance.

A girl from in front turned back and rested her head on Inoue's table. 'Hey, Hime...' she said lazily.

'Oh, hello Kelly...' Inoue replied her cheerfully, while taking out her stationaries from her bag. 'Where have you been last summer?'

'Oh, nowhere really...just Paris with Xiao Ying...' then the other girl sitting beside her turned around and faced Hitsugaya who was looking around the class all the time since he sat down, as he felt the stare lock on him again as he entered the classroom. Her features were very similar to that of Kelly's. They were the only daughters of a rich widower who gave them everything they wanted. They go shopping from Taiwan to Dubai or something, like it's just a trip from their house to a convenient store. Talk about being rich. They don't even blink while paying with Visa for a princess cut, Channel set, 5 carat diamond ring in Las Vegas. The last time they went to Manhattan, they bought a whole plane full of Marc Jacobs's latest season and Stella McCartney newest release of camies.

'That's me...' she said, smiling very politely. 'Oh, Hime...' she turned to Inoue and asked, 'were you two just speaking Japanese back then?' she pushed her black leather-skinned glasses, which could have costed at least two weeks of Inoue's pocket money, up the bridge of her nose with her finger. Xiao Ying and Kelly had been sitting in front of her for the whole of last year. Inoue saw that this year would be no difference. Xiao Ying is the kind of girl who's very polite and quite shy around strangers. As for her twin sister Kelly, whose chinese name is Xiao Qian, is a very lazy person, always not interested in anything that's happening around her. The only common thing about them is that they both lived to eat and that their favorite past-time would be sleeping. Well, more to Kelly, in this case. Which was quite unfair because, what with all the calories they took in, they could never grow out of a size 8 (US). They are similar in appearence whatsoever except for the glasses. Kelly always wore contact lens, so that the others wouldn't mistake her for her sister. Not that they could, what with the lazy look stapled onto her face twenty-four/seven, Inoue didn't think it was possible.

'Yup...I finally found someone that spoke my language...' she chuckled softly. 'Oh, Hitsugaya-kun,' she lightly tapped his shoulder and he converted his attention to the three girls around him. 'This is Kelly a.k.a. Xiao Qian and Xiao Ying. Their my best friends.' she introduced them to him in Japanese. He nodded at both of them.

'Hitsugaya Toushiro...' and then he turned back to observe the class. Then he saw her. No, to be accurate, he saw a figure that _could_ be her at the other end of the class, sitting in a desk, close to the back exit of the classroom. When she saw him look over at her, she quickly hid her face behind her hair and pulled her Dodgers cap lower.

'Erm, does he knows how to...emm...speak mandarin?' Xiao Ying asked quietly.

'Ying, of course he does...he's the guy that broke Kaien's record in the entrance exam...' Kelly answered and looked at her sister with a how-could-you-not-know expression.

'Oh!' Xiao suddenly exclaimed loudly. 'Oh my God...it's Toushiro, right?' Hitsugaya turn to look at whoever that's mention his name so briefly without addressal and nodded, after a while, when he saw it was Xiao Ying. 'You have to help me with this add maths question. It's been bugging me for weeks that I didn't even have the mode to go shopping with Kell...' she took out a book from her bag beside her foot and flipped to the page that the equation was on. Her loud exclamation had attracted people from the class as this was not how she acted normally.

Hitsugaya took one look at it and took out the notepad in his bag with a pen. He started immediately on the blank page with the solution of the equation. So fast that even Inoue, from the side, could not catch the stroke. Even Kelly sat up straight from her chair, intently, to have a proper look. It was amazing the way his doing it. Eventhough he paused a few times to think about which formula to use, he was doing better than fine.

Hitsugaya thought it was quite alright compared to the equations that his sister trained him with, eventhough he had some hesitations over which formula would solve the equation faster and better. He was only given three minutes to solve a one A4 page equation so he was quite use to thinking fast. Talking about the sessions that her sister gave him, while he was doing the questions that she gave, with a time-limit to meet, she was always talking to him and if he didn't respond, she would nudge his elbow harshly. So he was trained to multitask while he's doing his assessments or practice sheets of any subject.

When he finished there was a moment of silence and he looked around at the other surrounding him, some with their mouths opened. Inoue was the first to react. 'Wow...now _that's _what I call a genius...' Inoue had instinctively spoke in Japanese.

Xiao Ying from across the table grabbed the notepad and studied the solution. She had another piece of paper in her hand that had her incomplete solution on it. While she was comparing hers to his, her smile broaden with every number. 'Oh, but this is what I missed! That's why I couldn't get the answer!' she exclaimed and immediately took a pen from Inoue's table and started correcting her mistake. After a while, the other students went back to their seats and sat down. They didn't believe it at first that there was someone that could break Kaien Shiba's record because the entrance exam is the hardest exam compared to all those given throughout the year. They thought that he bribed the school, cheated or something. What happened just now had proven to them that he did neither. He really did deserve his title.

Then suddenly a phone rang from someone's bag. Inoue heard Hitsugaya sighed and pulled out the latest N-series Nokia hand-phone and answered. It is a sliding phone with the coolest color of shiny black. She had always wanted one.

_-Shiro, it's me...-_

'I know...'

_-Papa said that he won't be able to make it for lunch so we're having diner together this evening. Oh, and my boyfriend has invited us to attend a party of his this evening...so guess what?- _

'Right...we're going shopping...' he answered in a flat and annoyed tone. He sighed softly.

_-You are so smart! Muakk...I love you, Shiro! I am shopping with Fann right now and we just saw the most fabulous coat in Mango's! It's amazing, see, with this pair of large pockets at waist-length, ah, and the buttons are square in shape and black, they came from Brazil...ooo, and this woolen belt around it! Argh, isn't it wonderful, Fann...and look! Oh my God, I just have to have it! Just look at -_

'I can't see the coat, Jing...and don't scream, for goodness' sake...I'm not deaf and practically the whole class can hear you...'

_-So sorry...well, how's the classroom? Is it cold? Oh, did you bring your jumper with you? I remember giving it to you this morning...ooo, and tell me you are at a window seat! Argh, you know how I love window seats! I was in one the whole five years I was in that school...isn't it just fascinating? Oh and, were you late? Have you made any friends? But then, it's okay if you didn't...you always have to take things slowly in a new environment, you know, Shiro...but Oh, that reminds me...did you lose your way or anything?-_

'The classroom is fine...no, it's not cold, Jing, how could it be? It's autumn...yes, I have the jumper that you gave me this morning...yes, I'm at a window seat. But, no. It isn't fascinating, Jing, when all you can do is stare at the field outside. That's not something I consider fascinating. And you told me more than a hundred times that you sat at the window seat for your five years here...no, I wasn't late. Yes, I've met a few people and no, I didn't lose my way. Someone showed me to my class.'

_-Oh, good...ooo! I just saw the cutest pair of shoes I've seen in a century! It's got this big blue ribbon in front and it's all strappy and guess what? It has this navy blue shine and it's from Lewre! Well, see you later, Shiro...I need to get to the cashier bef -_ and she hung up like she always did before him. He was used to her overreaction with clothes and shoes. He pressed 'Disconnect' and shove his hand-phone into his bag and the bell rang as he was going to look over at the girl in the other corner. He didn't get the chance to because the teacher walked in just as the bell stopped ringing, as punctual as normal.


	6. Chapter 6

Ms. Cassandra is a very beautiful young lady of the age between 20-25 years old. She has long, straight highlighted-beige, brown hair. Wearing a white pencil skirt, grey sleeveless-tee and a lace-covered ivory half-waist-length short-sleeve jacket with a pair of strappy, 3 inch, high heels. Her features are very sharp, doubled-eyelid, tall nose, high cheekbones, flat forehead, thin eyebrows and full lips. At first 'smell', Hitsugaya knew it was Chanel No.5 swirling in the classroom space. It was very thin, as a matter of fact, but Hitsugaya have been smelling it for years now in _BliNk _as most of the models and lady staffs preferred Chanel than Dior. 

'Morning, class. Well, I expect that the summer holiday projects I issued a month and a half ago should be done by now. All on my table, now, please.' she added, making eye contact the girl in the other side of the class, first, then with Hitsugaya and smiled at him. 'No exceptions.' 

He reached down while the others went in front five-by-five and searched for the right file that he had compiled two weeks ago. The reason he had already finished all the holiday projects was because, Jing spoke to all his subject teachers and told him what to do. He finished all of them in three weeks and had already compiled them into different files, for every different subject. By the time he found it, the whole class had already settled down and was wondering what their teacher is waiting for. 

Hitsugaya stood up with the file in his hand, which had caused a noise while his chair was pushed back, causing everyone to look at him, including Inoue. He slowly made his way to where Ms. Cassandra is standing behind her table. 

'Hitsugaya Toushiro.' he bowed to her and looked up again, flipping his fringe back into place with a swing of his head. 'Jing sends her regards.' and he handed her his file. She took it after eyeing the file for three seconds. 

Her full lips curved into a smile of approximately 35°, as if she had already practiced it in front of the mirror for years now. 'Oh, your sister was one of my talented and, favorite students. She owns a deep sense of fashion and a pair of very sharp eyes for brands. Fake or not. Her nose is very sensitive too. She said to expect more from you. I'd love to assume she's right.' she smiled a little wider. 'Ling,' she called without taking her eyes off him. A sound of a chair being pushed back gently could be heard and soft footsteps stopped beside him. 

'Yes, Ms. Cassandra?' a small, tender voice sounded beside him. Her voice was inflected with slight nervousness. 

'I would like you to tell me what brands I'm wearing right now.' she said, finally taking her eyes of Hitsugaya. She often tested them with this sort of sudden request, but so far, in her whole seven years of teaching history of this school, there was only a few that could answer all perfectly. 

'Erm...Jimmy Choos.' she said, starting from the bottom. 'Zara' 

She was immediately cut off by Hitsugaya. 'It's Chloe...' Ling turned to look at him immediately, shocked and surprised. 

'Continue...' Ms. Cassandra indicated him with a gentle wave of her hand, smiling even broader. 

'Jimmy Choos: 2nd edition of latest release, $580. Chloe: pencil skirt, personalized with touches by the designer herself, $720. Marc Jacobs: newest Paris-released version, sleeveless and jacket match, $840 and $480 respectively. Fever: eye-shadow, mascara, eyeliner, lip gloss, blusher and face powder $33, $35, $25, $39, $36 and $30 respectively. Chanel No.5 of...1987. $760 still rising. Am I correct?' when he was finished, the students were shocked and amused at the same time. Kelly was glad that someone finally got them correct. She was one of the few who could name the brands and current pricing flawlessly. Orihime was smiling and had to fight the urge to applaud for him. Xiao Ying started writing down the prices immediately, as she could only recognize the brand but could not tell the actual price of the item. Ling, of course, was lost for words. 

'Precisely, Hitsugaya. I'm convinced. Well done...' her tone became friendly and warm. 'Now, back to your places. Textbooks out, please. Page 112. We'll save the rest for later...' and everything resume to normal. 

'I didn't know you were so good...' Kelly whispered while looking at her textbook when Hitsugaya passed by. He unconsciously looked over to the other side and caught her looking down at her textbook quickly, her hand reaching into her pocket. 

'Oh, and Hitsugaya, congragulations and, welcome abroad...' Ms. Cassandra turned back to her writing on the board, as Hitsugaya sat back into his chair and looked at her again. He caught her pushing something back into her sweater pocket and looked ahead. 'Today, we're learning the oh-so-famous _and_, not mention, very expensive Monique dresses. Why they're always a hit among lady celebrities, wearing it parties, awards and even on-set. How they price and the qualities of fabric. Plus, a few, known, designers that work under Monique. Ready? Erm...ahh, Kelly. Tell us about a few examples...' 

The lesson was thought and presented by Ms. Cassandra, in a very interesting manner. Hitsugaya took notes all throughout the class, which she secretly indicated that _some _parts that she had covered are those that they're going to be tested on. She's a very good-natured teacher but when it comes to her assignments, essays and projects, you would be given two choice if it weren't passed up when the deadline she given is met: a) drop the subject immediately and; b) detention for a week, after school, with herself. She is a teacher, very well-respected for her style of teaching and not to be taken lightly, of her instructions, by anyone. Her exams are not theoretical but very every bit as practical as you can imagine. And if you've been to one of her detentions, there is no telling what rating you might get out of your work in her exams. 

'This is the end of today's lesson, I'm afraid, and _now_, for your assignments. Deadline's next class. Research and choose Monique dresses as your topic, for next week's presentation. Create a sample in D-lab. I want each of you to print a hard copy for and I will choose the interesting ones for live presentations. Any questions?' she looked around. 

'Erm, Ms. Cassandra?' Inoue raised her hand half-way in the air. 

'Oh, yes? My darling Hime?' she asked cheerfully.

'What angle?' 

'Ahh...glad you asked. _Any_ angle...' she waved her hand in the air swiftly. 'Any angle at all, as a matter of fact, that you think is presentable...' she smiled and looked around again. 'Anyone else?' no one raised their hands. Some shook their heads. 'No? None? Done. Class dismissed.' and she gathered up her files then walked out of the classroom, disappearing around the corner, down the stairs, with her Jimmy Choos clicking loudly in her every step. 

The students all started shoving their textbooks and notepads into their bags. Some took out their timetable to see where's their next period. Hitsugaya was the fastest to finish. He placed the sling of his bag on his shoulder and started walking away towards the back exit. Towards the familiar shoulders, hair and the way her legs were positioned as she packer her stuff quickly and quietly. He was more than curious to find out who she is.

He was five desks away when, 'What's your second period?' Xiao Ying asked. She kept turning back to ask Hitsugaya, just now, for points that she missed. She wanted her next class to be with him again. Having a genius sitting behind her proved definitely very helpful. Inoue had gathered her textbook for the next class in her hands. She always did that so that she could be ready, and won't need to ruffle away in her bag, in search of her textbooks. She always had books required for her first two periods in her bag, ready. Then she would go to her locker, afterwards, and trade them for the next two. It's a habit she earned from last year. She took all 23 subjects at first and had to rush around with a heavy bag, and was constantly visiting her cramped locker. This year, she only took ten. In which she has confidence in, of getting all As for. 

'English...' he answered distractedly, without turning around to face Xiao Ying. 

'How many subjects did you take?' Kelly asked, lazily. 

'Twenty...' 

'You're nuts...' she answered, bored, with a pitying look for him on her face. He continued walking step by step towards her, eying her movements.

'Wait...' this time, Inoue stopped him. He turned his body halfway, frowning while he glanced sideways, Clearly a little irritated. 

'Erm...' she hesitated a while before continuing, after noticing his clear annoyance. 'I was wondering whether you would like to have Lunch with us...' she said, in a soft voice. Hitsugaya's frown eased. 

'Thanks. But I'm going out...I have free period after Lunch...' and then he turned around again, frustrated, not noticing the disappointment on her face. But she was no longer there anymore. A sign of panic flickered through his clear blue-green eyes. He stopped in his tracks, so suddenly, that Xiao Ying and Kelly, who were behind him, almost banged into him. 

'Whoa...what's wrong?' Xiao Ying just managed to step on her breaks three inches behind him. 

'Is something the matter, Toushiro-kun?' Inoue asked, softly, a little worried. She had noticed that he was acting a little weird since he sat down, beside her, in his desk. He shook his head and then continued walking cooly, as if he had all the time in the world, down the hallway upstairs to Language 1.


	7. Chapter 7

Walking towards Language 1 classroom upstairs is not that pleasant. She had already used the Breather twice because she was rushing up the stairs, not giving him a chance to keep up with her.

The pain in her chest was unbearable and she clutch onto her chest tightly. It's been a long time since she had an asthmatic attack. She remembered that time when she turned 14, her asthma attack completely stopped for two years in a row, she got so happy that she got rid of her asthma.

But then, the doctor told her after a month that her asthma attacks had stopped, that the symptoms may reoccur at any time in her adulthood.

When she took the last step on the stairs to the upper landing, she heard loud laughter of guys who weren't visible just yet. She quickly lowered her cap instinctively and took the turn towards the class.

But the guys coming from the other side didn't know that she was there and her head hit one of them, hard, on the chest. Her immediate thought was that whoever she bumped into, is just a little taller than Hitsugaya.

Her books dropped from her hand, cap slipped down her head onto the floor and the wool from his sweater or shirt entered her nostrils. She backed away immediately, not wanting to get another attack, and slipped, in the edge of falling down the stairs.

She shut her eyes tight, hand threw in front of herself, trying to grasped something. But she didn't scream. It would be fatal if she got an attack while falling down the stairs.

A strong arm supported her waist and another at the back of her head, pulling her back to balance. When she was finally standing steadily on the solid floor, Aizen saw the most angelic features on her face than any of those he's been looking at.

His first impression on her was that she's cute. Eyes shut tightly, biting her lower lip hard. She looks just like a doll. After a while, she opened an eye to look around for a bit. Seeing that she was saved from the fall, she opened both and sighed.

But then she took something out of her pocket and inhaled it for a few times. She slowly pushed him away with her free hand, turning her head to the other side as if he had bad breath. Kaien looked at her in interest. _Does this girl even know who Sosuke is?! Hah...she the first girl that I've seen pushing away from him! _

She said after a while, catching her breath, 'Thank you very much...but I'm allergic to woolen stuff, so...please...' she smiled apologetically.

'Oh, sorry...' he didn't know what he was apologizing for. It was like she placed a spell on him or something because he can't seem to take his eyes off her. He backed away a few steps immediately.

She smiled again and bent down to pick up her books. But first she placed on her cap and lowered it so it covered her beautiful irises. Aizen frowned at the sight of it. He liked her eyes.

'Why do you do that? You have beautiful eyes...' he said his thoughts out loud before he could stop himself. She looked up immediately, wide-eyed, at him. It wasn't the first time she heard that compliment. She didn't believe it. But now, told by a stranger she just met for a few minutes, she's beginning to believe it's true.

She just smiled and look behind at the stairs as if checking if someone was coming. She's been doing it since she bent down to gather her books.

'Are you expecting someone?' Aizen asked as she stood up, with her books in her hands. He'd been so busy staring that he didn't even help as he would if it were anyone else.

A student from below came up the stairs and when she passed, Hinamori sighed. _Thank God it's not him. But he probably couldn't recognize her anyway. _

'No...' she answered distractedly and looked behind her back again. Footsteps were heard and a head with silvery hair came into sight. She gasped loudly and turned around quickly.

She looked a little frighten. Aizen and Kaien tilted their heads to see who's coming up the stairs that had frighten her. Kaien frown at sight of Hitsugaya Toushiro's figure, coming up the stairs.

'I would love to stay and thank you for saving my life back then, but I'm in a rush...so, I have to go now. Thank you very much for helping me.' and she walked away quickly without waiting for Aizen to respond.

'Wait, what...' Aizen sighed. As she disappeared inside the doors of Language 1 classroom, Hitsugaya Toushiro reached the top of the stairs walked pass them without a glance into Language 1 after her.

Aizen looked down at his shoes and beside it was a student ID. He bent down and picked it up curiously. Aizen looked at the picture in the ID. It belonged to the girl from just now and she looked extremely like a doll.

_Hinamori Momo. _The side of Aizen's lips curved into half a smile as he pushed the ID into his sweater pocket. Kaien beside him had been mumbling to himself all the time since they saw Hitsugaya coming up the stairs.

She had already noticed that Hitsugaya had been staring at her since the minute he stepped into Language 1. She took all his subjects and even requested Pa to buy a house in the area his leaving in. She's living in the back-to-back bungalow with his Yang mansion.

_And _luckily, he's staying at the room in the back of the house which is visible, _very _visible, from her room. Her room is renovated exactly like the one in her parents house. The other parts of the house were only painted and had a change of tiles and marbled flooring.

Well, her room is _almost _the same except for the fact that it's much bigger. The fact that there are more see-through silk and lace curtains pulled over the oval extended landing just like the little stage in her room back in Japan. _And _the fact that the walls are all covered, from top to bottom, with soft-boards, all of them. All her treasures are pinned randomly onto the soft-boards, exposed, now that she forbidden all her maids entering her room, her secret is save.

No worrying that Ma will find out while cleaning the bottom of her bed. There was, in fact, a room where she printed and processed his picture by her own. One of those red-shaded room that you often see in television shows. In her room, she had a clear view of him in his room, just like last time.

She was lazily flipping through the pages of a magazine when she came across an older version of her bedside picture's figure: a side profile of him. She recognized it at once without reading the small block letters beneath the photo: **HITSUGAYA TOUSHIRO, SON OF YANG TAI KE XYN (FOUNDER AND CEO OF **_**BliNk **_**MODELING AGENCY). **

She read the whole article for more than ten times, while waiting for a full-body checkup in the hospital she'd been visiting since a toddler. That was the first time she ever heard news of him since he left.

She had another asthma attack on the spot just by looking at his picture in a magazine. Now, how ridiculous could it get!? But that was when she decided instantly that she want to go to Taiwan, see him again with her own eyes before she ran out of time. When she arrived in Taiwan after a long flight, which took her months to convince her family _and _doctors to agree to, she was exhausted.

But the very thought of being able to see him again, lighted the spirits in her, making all her efforts worth it and encouraging her to keep drawing in breath, every living second. Keeping her from dying in her sleep, which was a highly possible way for her to die in, that the doctor had already mentioned long ago.

Finally arriving at the back exit of Language 1, she sat down on the nearest desk, inhaling from the Breather, slowly catching her breath. The back row, which she was the only one sitting in, was actually quite close to the front as there is only four rows of desks, five in each, because not a lot of people would choose a foreign language like English.

And especially not _advanced _English, for that matter. In fact, she took her subject by mere instinct that he would be taking it and she was always right as she had lived so many years, next door to him, knowing his habits by always staring through the windows.

His interests as she's always close to him except when he's in school― her weak body, with not only asthma but also low-blood pressure causing _Angina Pectoris_, and it did not allow her to attend one; it took her a lot of time persuading her parents to let her study in the school he did, which he left, at the end, when she was finally allowed to and was actually _accepted _by the school, due to her health condition― his likes and dislikes, along with all his little habits: frowning, always walking with his hands in his pockets, running his finger through his silvery hair at any time and a few others.

_#For explanation on Myocardial Infarction and Angina Pectoris, refer to the next chapter. If you're not interested, just move on. But it's important as the symptoms of both illness affects the plot of the story a lot. #_

The minute she entered the class, she had smelt the woody scent through her nostrils and knew that she wouldn't be able to last long enough to the end of the class. She was forced to wearing a mouth-and-nose-mask that was specially made in Japan for asthmatic patients.

The brand that she bought had a smiley printed over the front of it. She chose that brand because of it. She immediately felt better after wearing the anti-dust mask. She stocked a lot of it as the masks were only sold in Japan. While she is taking out her books from her bag, the room grew pin-drop silence all of a sudden. She looked up to see what was happening.

Her eyes widen and immediately reached into her pocket, grasping the Breather, just in case. He looked around the room and walked towards the back row, slowly, with his hands in his pockets cooly. Luckily, she was able to calm herself from freaking out.

At the end of the class, his gaze suddenly met hers and she looked down immediately as if she would explode the next second. The minute she looked down, she had another attack, which she knew damn well had nothing to do with the dust in the air.

She could hear his foot tapping away louder and louder at the window-seat which she would absolutely love to sit in if she hadn't had asthma. Her case worsen to the stage that she could even get an attack while she yawned. And it's not just said so as to describe her bad situation, it's true. It rarely happened but it's true. The first time it happened, she almost shocked Ma to death.

Her loud attempt of gasping for air had attracted the class attention. And the attention of Ms. Kaitlin, their English teacher, as she was giving out the assignment as it neared Lunchtime.

And, nonetheless, the attention of someone standing outside the classroom, quietly, waiting for s. Kaitlin to dismiss her class. Her Breather's bottle ran out of gas as she inhaled the last of it before she put on her mask.

She quickly reached for her bag and poured out it's contents onto the table in front of her as she looked for the refill that she knew she had in her bag for emergencies like these. She could barely see an inch in front of her eyes and is desperately touching the things in front of her, feeling for the bottle. She couldn't breathe.

Hitsugaya had already noticed the girl sitting in a corner of the classroom near the rear exit as she did in first period and second. He thought something was wrong when he walked passed her to the window-seat.

He just turned to look at Ms. Kaitlin for a while to take in her instructions for their next assignment and _her_ loud grasping was heard. He panicked immediately without knowing why.

He instinctively looked at the two guys sitting in front of her, shocked-faced, not even helping her when the little bottle of medication was right in front of them. He was instantly frustrated and annoyed by them. _Couldn't they see that she was dying?! It wouldn't kill them to just help her, right?! _

Hitsugaya didn't know why he is feeling so angry. He had never felt this anger and the urge to kill since that time he was informed of his mother's remarriage, which had quickly died down after a while.

This is the first time Kuukaku Shiba had realized that there was actually someone sitting in the back row besides the Hitsugaya guy. All the while, she was just distracted by the thought of eating lunch with Aizen-sama later. If she just knew that _her _'Aizen-sama' had interest in this mysterious girl, Shiba would have wished that she'd been choke to death right there and then. But she didn't.

Hitsugaya stood up quickly, causing his chair to fall back onto the floor, and ran over to her side, which was only a few desks away. He reached for the bottle that was at the edge of the table, almost dropping to the ground.

He harshly pulled out the empty bottle and replace it with the new one in his hand. Then he quickly shoved it into her mouth, looking at her face, now as pale as a piece of paper, for the first time, He pressed at the Breather for a few times, when her hand grabbed his. Her breathing slowed a little but nonetheless, very traumatic.

'T-Tous-shiro-chan...not-t so much-ch at on-e go-o...' she said in Japanese, which she knew he could understand perfectly. She took the Breather from his hand gently and pressed according to her own pace. Her breathing slowly stabled.

Inoue felt a streak of jealousy at the addressal that only people who knew each other for a very long time, and are quite close friends, would use. She already noticed Hitsugaya staring at the girl all through first period, every chance he could get. _Who is this girl? Why does Hitsugaya-kun look so terrified?! Who is she?! How does she know Hitsugaya-kun's name?_

Her calling of his name had confirm his hesitation. Looking at her, struggling to just breathe, he had a heartache. He felt so helpless. He couldn't do anything to help her.

This attack was more serious than the one he witnessed for the first time back then. This time was as if she could just stop breathing there and then and there was nothing he could do to help her. She looked so weak and vulnerable as if one touch and she would break into pieces.

Which was also why he didn't dare to touch her after she took the little thing that she was inhaling medication from, from his hand. Her breathing is slowly returning to normal.

'Momo-san?' he asked softly while looking at her wild and pale face. Her head shot up immediately at the mention of her name, wide-eyed and her breathing quicken again. _HE CALLED MY NAME, HE CALLED MY NAME! HE REMEMBERED _MY _NAME! _she was screaming inside while she slowly inhaled from the Breather again. She clutch her chest as she started frowning all over again.

His heart almost climbed up his throat and pop out onto the table when he saw that her breathing is not catching up. What it something he said? Because he was sure he didn't speak to her yet. He just called her name. That's all.

She finally calmed down after a few inhalation from the Breather. At first, he didn't dare to touch her. And now, he didn't even dare to breathe too loudly. She was close to tears as she fainted as she couldn't bear the pain in her chest any longer, head-first, towards him and her head dropped onto his chest, sliding downwards.

He quickly reached down and placed her hand around his neck, his hand around the back of her shoulders and the other around her legs, and he carried her up into his arms.

He speeded out of the class, towards the stair. When Inoue saw him coming out, she took a step forward and opened her mouth to speak, but didn't get a chance to.

Because he was too engrossed in getting the girl in his arms to wherever his bringing her. Because he walked pass so fast that she didn't even reached him, not even close. Because he couldn't even see her standing there.

What she wouldn't give or do to be the one he cared about, the one his gaze watched after and the one girl that's laying, safe, in his arms right now, being hugged closely to himself. She could see the way his carrying her. Walking fast, gripping hard but extremely careful not to hurt her.

-Sigh- _what she _wouldn't_ give..._she thought quietly, as a small drop of tears raced down the side of her cheek.


	8. Chapter 8

Hitsugaya called for Uncle Wong when he reached the gates of the school. Uncle Wong came rushing immediately, he was near the school as it was nearly Lunchtime.

He carefully placed her into the back seats of the car with Uncle Wong's help and turned around to go back for their bags. But Inoue stood there, panting, carrying both their bags and her own, smiling at him.

'Kelly saw you rushing out the class with a girl in your hands when she walked passed your class and told me about it just now...thought you might need some help taking the stuff...' she handed him the bags, still smiling.

He was too distracted to notice that it was an empty smile that Inoue displayed. He took the bags from her and thanked her quickly. He walked towards the passenger seat where Uncle Wong is holding the door open for him as he saw his young master coming back.

'Is she...' Inoue was cut off when the driver shut the door tight and drove away from the school. She sighed, looking down at her legs, close to tears. '...alright?' she finished as the car vanished from sight. Then she knelt down and buried her face in between the gap formed by the shoulders and her knees.

His shadow behind the gates shorten as he moved towards Inoue, frowning. Since he'd first set eyes on her when she joined the designer's club, he'd decided that he wanted her to be his girlfriend.

Not only because she's beautiful, she's every bit different from the other girls he hit on. She is special and unique. He didn't like it when she smiled at other guys. He didn't like it when she laughed and talked with the other guys in her class.

He wanted her smile all for himself. But she didn't like his arrogance and the way he thinks and treat girls like toys he could play with. She even called him a modelizer, which didn't please him very much.

He already saw her standing in front of the Language 1 classroom earlier on when he went upstairs to pass a note from Ms. Debra to Ms. Kaitlin. He talked to her for a while, asked her what she was doing there and the normal stuff.

When he ran out of things to say, he left to pass the note. When he came out from Ms. Kaitlin's class, she was taking three bags, running towards the stairs and down quickly. He was just following her out of curiosity and when he saw that she was going after that frowning donkey— referring to Hitsugaya— he hid behind the wall to watch what happens.

_What?! How could it be that she's fell for someone she only met for less than a day?! And, not to mention, an arrogant frowning donkey?! Why him? _Kaien Shiba immediately developed a deeper hatred for Hitsugaya because of this.

'Hime-chan?' he called out softly as he knelt down beside her. Inoue immediately knew it was him without even looking up. Eventhough they weren't very friendly with each other, Inoue understand him well enough to know that, now, he mean no harm.

She turned and dugged into his arms without hesitation, clutching on to the front of his jumper tightly while sobbing uncontrollably. After a while, he finally plugged up the courage to put his arms around her, patting her back gently. 'Shh...I'm here, don't cry...' he comforted her like she was still a three-year-old.

Hitsugaya carried her up the stairs slowly and carefully. The housekeeper and the other maids that had their young master's bags in their hand were watching at the bottom of the stairs, whispering to each other curiously, all wondering who that lucky girl is.

He carried her towards the room at the end of the hall on the third landing. All the gym and jogging in the morning had always done him some good in times like these. Normally, it is Jing that he's carrying because she always falls asleep, in the car, during her way back from the mall, salon or someone's party.

If he went with her, he can straight away carry her upstairs after he got down from the car— which he normally is. But if his not there in the car with her, they would have to send someone to tell him that she's back and he'll have to go and carry her upstairs to her room.

If someone just woke her up straight away, she would have a bad mood for the rest of the day and would refuse to sleep until Hitsugaya lets her sleep with him in his room. Then she would be sleeping on the bed and he would be sleeping on the floor with a mattress, pillow and a huge blanket. She usually pester her way in on nights like those.

They also tried to get someone else to carry her up the house— only with Hitsugaya nearby, just in case things get out of their hands— but it's just like she recognize the smell or something and would demand to be let down immediately, run towards wherever Hitsugaya is standing, cuddling up in his arms and he would have to carry her up all the same. She would normally wake up after a fifteen-minutes-nap. It's always been like that since they were young.

Uncle Wong opened the door to his bedroom for him and he went in. Flipping the sheets aside, he gently placed her onto the bed and covered her with his 800-thread-count comforter.

The air-cons are always on in their house so his room isn't that hot inside. After covering her with the comforter, he slowly walked towards the door, with a glance behind, when he closed the door softly.

Uncle Wong already went back to work. Walking pass Jing's room— there is only two huge rooms up on the third landing: his and Jing's— towards the stairs, the door opened behind him and Jing walked out from the room, yawning.

'Hey, Shiro...back already?' she asked in a sleepy voice while putting her hands through the arc of his hand and rested her head on his shoulder.

'Yeah, it's my free period...I'll have to get going now...' he answered as they started down the stairs.

'Oh...' she answered a little disappointedly. But she cheered up immediately as if she just remembered something. 'Shiro, did I mention that you'll have to bring a date in tonight's party? Maybe you could ask one of the girls in your class...I'm sure one of them would like to be your date...' she smiled evilly.

'No...and it's _your _boyfriend, not _mine_...why do _I_ have to go, too?!' he looked annoyed. But he did want to see his sister's boyfriend again. It's been a long time since they last met each other.

Like three months ago when he came over for dinner so that him and Papa could meet him in person. He is in the same high school, and now, same university as Jing is and she could never stop talking about him. It got Hitsugaya jealous for quite a few times, as he has a habit of being a protective brother since young.

'Well, he invited both of us, we can't be rude...and, besides, he wanted to see you...' Jing answered in the tone that indicates: don't-you-dare-say-another-word-against-it. And he obeyed quietly.

'Good boy...' Jing said, satisfied with his response. They were already downstairs and Hitsugaya left the next minute after taking his bag from the housekeeper and giving instructions for them to keep an eye on Hinamori while his gone.

'Whose Hinamori?' Jing asked the housekeeper when they arrived in the kitchen to make some food for her as she is always hungry after a nap.

The five maids and the housekeeper all answered at once. And in the middle of everything, Jing made out what the ladies were trying to tell her at last.

'Okay, let's get this straight,' she said, looking at each of them. 'Shiro brought a girl back from school who was either sleeping or already fainted,' she paused and they nodded. 'took her upstairs to his room which you're forbidden to go into and I have to pester my way inside for a long time,' nodded again. 'and she is now sleeping on his bed which he only sometimes allowed me on, other than himself. Am I correct?'

'Yes, yes...' they answered all together in one voice.

'Then let's have a look at her...' Jing stood up from the tall stool but was immediately pulled back by all of them.

'Young master gave orders that no one is to disturb Ms. Hinamori while she sleeps...' said one.

'Yes, and to keep an eye on her, he says...' said another. The others nodded in unity.

'I am not about to give up my job yet, young lady! Not just yet...' said the housekeeper, Aunty Rui— Yoruichi Shihouin— who was their nanny turned housekeeper when they were toddlers. 'You know how Toushiro-kun is, Jing...he won't like it...'

'It's alright...I'll explain...' Jing said quickly, in her own defense.

'But, Zhi Jing, this is different from the other cases, like which you sneak in to read his manga or play with his precious action figures...this isn't any toy he bought from another country, it's a girl he brought home...he looked like he really mean it when he said not to disturb...knowing him, Toushiro-kun would be furious!' the 34 going on to 35 years-old Aunty Rui explained hurriedly.

'But...' she paused for a while. The maids looked at her with hopeful eyes. '...that will make her even more interesting to look at...' she raced up the stairs, with them all behind her and when she opened the door into Hitsugaya's room and speeded inside.

They all stopped hurriedly outside as they were forbidden to enter their young master's room. They were immediately quiet as they afraid of disturbing the girl on the bed and scattered when Jing closed the door softly while smiling at them cheekily.

Jing turn to look at the girl sleeping soundly on Hitsugaya's king-sized bed, curled up at one side, a sign of insecurity, with her hands gripping onto something very tightly while she slept.

Jing observed her face quietly and her conclusion was that she looked like a doll. Well, except that her hair is shiny black and not blond. But then, if it was blond, it wouldn't have looked nice on her.

Her waist-length straight silky hair with a left lining fringe, beautifully taken care of, fanned out neatly behind her slender back. Jing's full lips curved into a gentle-but-a-little-sad smile after fully taking her in.

She looks beautiful. Just like a live-size Barbie doll. Even as a female, she could feel her attractiveness pulling at her, encouraging her to get closer. But she looked really familiar. And her name sounds familiar too.

'Aunty Xyn, our baby Shiro's growing up already...' Yang Zhi Jing whispered to herself with tears swarming her eyes. 'He's falling in love...'


End file.
